This invention relates to melting crucibles or pots, more particularly for use in processing small amounts of material, such as for dental technology and analytical purposes and for preparing samples for metallurgical purposes. In this specification, reference to small amounts of material to be processed in such a crucible means the amounts which are usually employed for example in analytical operations and in dental technology, and generally in laboratory operation, for example amounts of not more than 2 kg.
Melting crucibles or pots for such purposes may have only a single pouring or discharge opening, for example in the region of the upper edge of the crucible, or no pouring opening at all. In either situation, it has been found that the service life of such a crucible is frequently relatively short, for the reason that the wall of the crucible is eroded to an excessive degree and at an excessive speed, during pouring operations, in the region of the pouring opening, so that the wall of the crucible may be totally destroyed in the region of the pouring opening or spout.